Islanders Rumor Central: Nelson Trade Inevitable; Palmieri Too?

EAST MEADOW, NY — The New York Islanders returned to practice following the three-day break after the 7-1 humiliation courtesy of the Buffalo Sabres on December 23. The Islanders now sit last in the Metropolitan Division and fourth-bottom in the Eastern Conference.

Bo Horvat called the loss “Embarrassing. We should be embarrassed.” After such a demoralizing loss, the Islanders received days off from the rink to mentally reset. With that break in the rearview mirror, the Islanders must buckle up and gear up for a stretch run that will either close this era of the New York Islanders’ history or keep the book open.

General Theme:

That type of overarching theme is usually overplayed, but in this case, it’s the truth. The Islanders will be four years removed from their 2021 playoff run this Spring. Time stops for no man or team, especially in a hard-cap league.

For the first time in years, legitimate whispers swirl around this team about inevitable change along with selling at the trade deadline.

Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri have expiring contracts and would presumably net a serious return in potential trades. Chatter around Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has only one more year on his contract, has allegedly picked up.

The main refrain from all insiders surrounding the Islanders is that only Team President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello knows what will follow. Consistently, they’ve said if the Islanders are near the cutoff line, he will not sell.

So, here on December 27, there are roughly six weeks until the next NHL Hiatus for the Four Nations Face-Off. Within that time, the Islanders played exactly 20 games. This stretch will define the Islanders for years to come, one way or another.

The Lou Lamoriello Question:

If the Islanders careen out of control, this will not be another year of subtle changes and keeping everything the same. Earlier in the year, Chris Johnston, on his podcast for SDPN, hinted that the Islanders had been working on some sort of succession plan for Lamoriello.

Lamoriello has run the entire operation since 2018, overseeing the greatest stretch for the franchise since the Dynasty years. Since that 2021 deep run, the Islanders have fired two coaches, extended a lot of players long-term, and have not won a playoff series.

If this team misses the playoffs, it’s possible that Lamoriello will not be part of the Islanders’ future for next season.

Nelson Trade Would Officially End This Era:

What’s more, yesterday in The Athletic, Johnston reported that Brock Nelson allegedly wants to test the open market, and if so, an Islanders trade of Nelson will be virtually inevitable.

Nelson is top-ten all over the franchise leaderboards, including for goals, points, and games played. He’s worn the “A” as an alternate captain for multiple seasons, and his line really shouldered through the deep playoff runs, with his connection with linemate Josh Bailey tormenting opponents.

A Nelson trade would signal the end of that era, as only one skater from that team’s top six would remain. Just look at the lines from game seven in Tampa Bay:

Leo Komarov-Mathew Barzal-Jordan Eberle

Anthony Beauvillier-Brock Nelson-Josh Bailey

Kyle Palmieri-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Travis Zajac

Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock

Nick Leddy-Scott Mayfield

Andy Greene-Noah Dobson

Semyon Varlamov (Ilya Sorokin)

Of that lineup, 10 of the 18 skaters remain. Both goalies then remain now. Trading Nelson would mean moving on from the longest-tenured Islander, something that isn’t done lightly.

Palmieri, Pageau, Who Else?

After that, a Palmieri trade becomes easier to make. The 2021 acquisition before the trade deadline came in and immediately infused the Islanders with a scoring punch that the team needed. He improved over time. Last season, he registered 30 goals for the first time in his career. He’s once again on pace to hit that very mark, if not surpass it.

Palmieri could net a high draft pick or young talent to turn things over for the Islanders. Less is known about Palmieri’s or anyone else’s actual availability, but reading the signs, one would think Palmieri could be had at the deadline if the Islanders are out of it.

Matt Martin is on a one-year deal, and it’s clear how valuable his leadership is to the team. However, it would be no surprise if this is his final year, especially if he hits 1,000 games played (he is currently at 975).

As mentioned earlier, Pageau has one more year left at $5 million. Versatile centers who play in all situations are always a hot commodity around trade season, and this would be no different.

Moving on from Pageau opens up valuable cap space needed to extend the team’s pending RFAs, including Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, Noah Dobson, and Alexander Romanov.

If anyone wants Pierre Engvall, they can have him. He’s been waived twice and went unclaimed twice, so it’s likely he stays through the end of the season, but after that, all bets are off.

On July 1, 2025, Adam Pelech‘s full No-Trade Clause becomes a 16-team NTC. While he’s not a candidate for an in-season trade, the emergence of Isaiah George and the continued growth of Romanov allows for the Islanders to explore moving on from the veteran.